How to Choose a Sending Church or Agency

by Bill Taylor

Dear Raquel and David,

Here I am again, attempting to do a better job at answering the great question you lobbed at me during the missions conference. You are right in wanting to be careful when you consider which mission “team” you’ll join. From the start, let’s clarify some really crucial items.

Who sends the missionary? There’s no question in my mind that the local church does that. Too many missionaries feel that their agency sends them out. They want their church to bless and support them, but not to truly send them, with all the responsibility this entails. Bad mistake! You can thank God you’re in a church with a heart for its city as well as for the world, and with a pastoral team that shares those powerful core values.

As we discussed the other night, there are two major ways of getting to and staying on the field long-term. One is for your church alone to send you and attempt to provide the critical field components: shepherding, strategizing, supervising, and support system. Few churches can really do all these things well.

I’m encouraged that your church has chosen the second option: to enter into a covenant relationship with an experienced mission agency which will work with you and the church to provide these field elements. You shouldn’t leave home without having that settled!

Remember that joining a mission agency is similar to marriage (though it’s not always for life). It’s a serious, long-term, mutual commitment with heavy implications. Joining the right “ministry family” means time spent “courting” - getting to know each other, evaluating the fit, knowing that God is guiding both parties into this relationship. It’s crucial that you be totally united on this. Yet remember, no perfect ministry exists!

Now, what specific items should you look for in mission agencies? Here are some guidelines to point you along the path.

1. What are their core spiritual commitments? Each church or agency will have a written affirmation of their beliefs. Many times this is called a doctrinal statement.

Strong missiology is rooted in biblical theology. You’ll want to work with a team that shares your foundational belief system. So check out that doctrinal statement!

Is the statement general (and probably fairly short) or detailed and specific? Some people feel comfortable in organizations that are very specific about what they believe; others prefer to work where there is broad latitude based on general evangelical orthodoxy.

Be sure you agree with your agency on some of the more controversial issues. For example, if you prefer a charismatic expression of theology, ministry, and worship, but the agency you’re considering doesn’t endorse that option, then move on.

2. What’s their history? How did they get started? How have they changed? How have they adapted to meet the challenges of the new millennium ahead? Who have their key leaders been? Are any of them still around and available to talk with you? When you get a sense of team history, you can understand where the organization is and where it will probably go tomorrow. Get comfortable with this history.

3. How does the church or agency arti-culate its purpose, goals, and objectives? This information will be derived from the group’s history, but you should also be able to find some clear statements that indicate where they’re heading.

Consult others “in the know” to make sure these core values really work in practice! You’ll want to work with a team whose goals you respect and share.

To determine whether the agency works strategically, ask whether it has a short-range and a long-range plan. How do they evaluate their progress? Learn about their decision-making process. Is it centralized, democratic, personalized, home or field based, elected, or what? What role does the national church have in evaluating the effectiveness of the mission? Does it have personnel from a diversity of cultures and nations?

You may also want to investigate what kind of team ministry they encourage and what kind of participation they invite from staff. How sensitive is leadership to new ideas? How direct and open are they in resolving conflict?

4. To what types of ministry are they particularly committed? Do they have a strong and holistic view of the Great Commission? Is their ministry based on kingdom values? Do they say they serve the church - and do they really do so? Are they exclusively “into” un-reached peoples in the 10/40 Window, or do they have a broader perspective of global need? Will they place you in a ministry that provides a good “gift match,” or do they want you to be willing to do anything?

Again, the “right” answers to these questions will depend on the direction and priorities God has given you. Make sure you really can work with the ministry perspective of your potential mission agency. If you want to plant churches, but the organization you join only does evangelism and disciple-making, then you will have to change!

A subset of this question deals with geography. Raquel and David, you two have expressed a desire to plant churches among unreached peoples, so be sure the agency you choose is one that works in those kinds of contexts. Some of us seem called to a specific country or a particular ministry. We have to search for the right fit, and everything doesn’t always come together! But we can try.

5. What kind of care do they provide, both prior to departure and on the field? Be leery of the agency that says something like, “Well, to be honest, our missionaries really don’t need much pastoral care. They’re all pretty strong, committed Christian leaders.”

Related to this is the organization’s concept of the family and view of the education of your children. How flexible are they in terms of gender issues and roles for the wife or husband? How comfortable are you with the schooling options they offer your kids?

6. How do they handle finances and support raising? Do they require you to raise all or part of your support? How will they help you in this? What is their administrative cost, and how is it raised?

Will they allow or expect you to provide partial support for yourself on the field - through teaching or a business venture, for instance? What’s their housing policy? Can you own your own home “at your own risk”?

Are they a reputable organization, with open accounting and financial management? Can you respect the lifestyle of their missionaries and home staff?

7. What is their relationship to your church as well as the national church? How much are they willing to work with your church leadership as they put together the ministry package for you?

Obviously, if you plant the gospel among a totally unreached people group, you hope to see the first national church. But in most countries, there already exists some kind of national group of believers. How has the agency you’re considering transferred responsibility and authority to the national churches? What role do these churches have in the placement and supervision of expatriate missionaries?

8. What can you discern about the missionaries’ lifestyles and unwritten rules? This is a tough one to discover, but it’s really important. As a friend of mind says, “Turn on your spiritual radar system” to find this out. Ask wives and missionary children how they feel about the mission and why. Investigate the lifestyles of single missionaries. How sensitive is the agency to the issues, needs, and concerns of singles, as well as to those of married couples and families?

Ask the organization’s leaders what kind of expectations they have for their missionaries. Does the agency or individual offer any kind of job description? Who commits to fulfilling it? What types of relationships, accountability, and reporting formats does the agency encourage, require, or provide? What mutual commitments are made regarding furlough? How does the agency encourage leadership development and lifelong learning?

9. What’s their pre-field orientation and language-learning policy? If they want you there only for one week of orientation, keep looking. One week is not enough for someone who’s heading overseas for years at a time. And be wary of churches or agencies that allow you to make your own decisions on language study. Basic language study of Spanish or French may take one year, but Russian, Chinese, or Arabic will always take at least two years! Some of you will have to learn two new languages!

Finally, remember that there are no perfect organizations. Be realistic. Beware of rapid decisions and “love affairs” with a particular team. The post-honeymoon blues can be fierce! And be sure that your church is happy with the choice of agency.

Take the time to get to know organizations. Find out about them and let them find out about you. It’s a mutual relationship; the agencies ultimately want God’s best for you.

As I reread this long letter, I hope it’s not overkill. Relax, friends! Work with God in this process. And don’t forget that we - your family, friends, and church - are on your side!

With respect and love,

Bill

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How to Choose a Sending Church or Agency

God's Word

Urbana Stories

35 days until

December 27-31, 2009